First Friend
by Lynn Young
Summary: All throughout his entire life, Haizaki has only ever cared about one person: his childhood friend and first love, Kise Ryouta. But even though Kise is the only important person in Haizaki's life, Haizaki is not the only important person in Kise's life. Contains AoKise and one-sided HaiKise.


First Friend

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warning: one-sided HaiKise.

* * *

Having grown up in a family that consisted of a single mother who only focused on work and an older brother who couldn't care less about him, Haizaki Shougo couldn't exactly say that there were many people in his life that he regarded in a friendly manner. For the longest time, he was convinced that he just wasn't meant to have loved ones in his life; he never thought that he would ever be able to consider another person as important to him as the air he breathes. That line of thinking changed completely when he was befriended by Kise Ryouta.

When Kise first introduced himself to Haizaki as his new neighbor, Haizaki was less than enthusiastic to know that such an energetic and cheerful child would be living next door to him. He was even less pleased to find out that the blond was the new transfer student that all his classmates had been talking about.

As he had done with anyone else who ever tried to approach him, Haizaki had ignored the blond. It was only when the puppy-like boy had continued to pester him despite his obvious indifference that Haizaki finally gave in and decided to amuse the other boy. He allowed Kise to accompany him to and from school, and to even hang around him in class (much to the annoyance of all of Kise's fans). Haizaki was always sure to sprinkle in as many insults and rude comments to the blond as possible whenever they spoke in the hopes of ridding himself of the other boy, but failed each time due to Kise's obtuse nature.

No one had ever wanted to know or be with Haizaki as much as Kise did, and before he knew it, the feeling had become mutual. As much as he hated to admit it, Haizaki truly came to enjoy the other's company, and constantly longed for Kise's presence. Kise became the only person Haizaki thought of as a friend.

It didn't take much longer than a couple of years of being best friends for Haizaki to realize that he had fallen for the blond. It seemed natural, really, seeing how easily Kise had managed to force his way into Haizaki's heart not long after they first met. It seemed somewhat fitting for his first friend to be his first love.

But, as expected of the blond, Kise was completely oblivious to Haizaki's feelings, despite the two of them being together for almost ten years. Kise never thought twice about how Haizaki always watched over him so protectively, or how he would get jealous whenever Kise dated someone, or how he got so frustrated whenever Kise mentioned or hung around his other friends, or even how he would nearly kill anyone that tried to get a little too close to Kise. To the model, those were all things that were natural for a best friend to do, even if Kise himself didn't do them for Haizaki.

And, surprisingly enough, Haizaki was satisfied with their relationship. Even though Kise was unaware of Haizaki feelings, Haizaki had a good understanding of Kise's feelings. Watching the other for almost ten years allowed Haizaki to understand the model's actions and ways of thinking better than Kise himself. That is how he could tell that even though the blond wasn't in love with him, Kise adored him more than anyone else. With just that, Haizaki was satisfied. After all, Kise wasn't like him; he had plenty of important people in his life. And despite that, Kise's amber eyes only lit up in absolute adoration when he looked at Haizaki, and he only called Haizaki by his given name. Those small things, things that only someone who had continuously watched Kise could notice, assured to Haizaki his significance to the blond.

* * *

Haizaki yawned as he slammed the door to his house after him, lazily scratching at the back of his head. He squinted at the bright sunlight that invaded his vision. "Shougo-kun, good morning!" Turning towards the familiar voice, he was greeted with the pleasant sight of his childhood friend and neighbor.

"Mornin', Ryouta. You're in as good of a mood as ever, I see." Kise chuckled as he walked over to Haizaki, not denying the latter's statement. "Well, not all of us have to be in a sour mood all the time," the blond replied, playfully sticking his tongue out. Haizaki rolled his eyes before starting their walk to school by himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kise pout before catching up to the silver-haired boy. "So, have you decided on a club to join yet?"

Kise sighed, the subject clearly causing his mood to darken. "No, not yet. I really want to, but I can't find anything I can really get into. All the clubs I've tried out are so boring." Haizaki laughed, amused by the blond's quick change of attitude. "As expected of Ryouta! It'll take something pretty tough to really interest you, huh? Well, I still think you should try out the basketball club. Teiko has a pretty good team, so you might find yourself actually being challenged." Facing Kise, he added, "Plus, I'll be there, so there's no way you could have a bad time, right?" Though Haizaki's honestly couldn't care less about school activities, he was admittedly eager to have the opportunity to spend time with the blond in his own club. He found that having Kise around always managed to put him in a better mood.

"Hmmm. I don't know. None of the sports I've played have ever really challenged me before, so every time I try a new one, it just becomes boring for me. What makes you think that basketball would be any different?" Haizaki snorted. He knew that Kise wasn't an arrogant person, but that didn't stop the blond from unconsciously making somewhat conceited comments once in a while.

Haizaki threw an arm around the model's shoulders, causing Kise to yelp in surprise, before smirking confidently, "Like I said, the difference is that _I'll _be there!" Kise blinked before giving Haizaki an affectionate smile that made his heart skip a beat.

"I guess that's true!"

* * *

Once classes for the day ended, Kise let out a long sigh. _School is so boring,_ he thought with an uncharacteristic lack of energy as he began packing his books.

"Kise-kun!" Still seated, Kise paused from putting his books away to look towards the voice that called him. There, stood a girl in his class with another girl he didn't recognize (her friend, he assumed). "Yes?" He put on a charming smile despite his lack of interest in whatever the girls, whose names he didn't even know, wanted.

The girls blushed, and the one he didn't recognize turned away, leaving the speaking for her friend to do. "We were...umm...w-wondering if you would let us w-walk home with you!" Kise mentally frowned, not pleased with the thought of walking home with two girls who were practically strangers to him. _I need to hurry up and think of an excuse..._

"I would love to, but—" He was interrupted when a familiar arm slung itself across his shoulders. "Sorry ladies, but Ryouta here already has business with me today!" Holding back a sigh of relief, Kise smiled apologetically at the girls, "Sorry, but it's as Shougo-kun says. I already made plans with him for today."

Obviously disappointed, the girl from his class pouted. "Awww. But Haizaki-kun is always hogging Kise-kun!"

Haizaki snorted, "Well, duh! That's because Ryouta likes me way more than anyone else here!" Kise chuckled quietly at the truth in his friend's statement as Haizaki continued. "Now then, why don't you girls go ahead and scamper off and leave the two of us alone already?" His tone indicated that it wasn't a request. The girls glared at Haizaki before quickly saying bye to Kise and leaving.

Once they left the room, Kise smiled thankfully at Haizaki and continued packing his books where he had previously left off. "Thanks, Shougo-kun. As always, you seem to have come to my rescue."

"No problem, but I wasn't lying when I said that you've already got business with me. You're coming with me to check out the basketball club!" Haizaki said as he grabbed the blond's arm and dragged him out of the classroom.

"Ehhhh? I don't remember promising to do that, Shougo-kun!" The silver-haired boy smirked at him as he continued to pull Kise to the gym, "I know, which is why I decided for you!" Kise opened his mouth to object, but stopped when Haizaki went on, "I know you, Ryouta, which is why I know that if I don't force you to go, you won't!"

Kise sighed in defeat when he saw that they had already arrived at the gym. "Fine, but I'm only going to observe! Don't assume that I'm going to join, Shougo-kun!" Haizaki laughed, clearly satisfied.

"Haizaki, you're late," a calm voice called. Kise turned to see a short boy with red hair walking towards them. "Yeah, yeah. I had something to take care of. Sorry." Haizaki's tone was unapologetic. "Come with me for a moment." The boy said with an unreadable expression, completely ignoring the blond. Haizaki sighed, "Fine." Turning to Kise, he quickly added, "You just stay here, Ryouta. I'll be right back."

"Okay~! Don't rush on my account!" The red-haired boy gave Kise a quick, calculating glance before turning around and walking away, a reluctant Haizaki in tow. Kise sighed, finding a place out of the way to stand. _Great. Now I'm alone,_ he thought dejectedly. Uncomfortable without Haizaki, Kise looked down at his feet as club members were beginning to enter the gym, wishing time would somehow go by faster. Everyone seemed to ignore Kise's presence in the gym, instead focusing on their practice.

"Hmm? Ah, I recognize that blond hair! My, if it isn't the famous and popular Kise-kun!" The stranger's voice made Kise look up, causing his amber eyes to meet a pair of dark blue ones. A boy his age with dark blue hair and eyes and unusually tanned skin stood around a meter in front of him. Kise felt his pulse steadily increase as he gazed at the other's mesmerizing blue eyes. They maintained eye contact for several seconds before the other boy looked away, scratching the back of his head. Kise felt his face warm up when he realized he had been staring. The tanned boy cleared his throat before speaking, "S-So, what brings you here, Kise? Are you perhaps interested in the basketball club?"

Kise swallowed, willing his pulse to return to normal speed. He did his best to sound calm when he replied, "I suppose. I just came here today to observe." Relieved that he managed to speak without stuttering, Kise shyly glanced at the boy before adding, "You don't mind, do you?" In response, the tanned boy shook his head furiously, "No, no, not at all! You can observe to your heart's content!"

Smiling, Kise faced the other, "Thank you!" He blinked before adding, "Um...I apologize since you already know who I am, but your name is...?" The other's face lit up in realization. "Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Aomine Daiki, a second year student like you!" Kise nodded, repeating Aomine's in his head. "Well, I guess I'll go ahead and properly introduce myself." Holding out his hand, Kise continued, "My name is Kise Ryouta. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aomine-kun!"

Grinning, Aomine grabbed the blond's hand, "Right back at ya!" Kise felt his face warm up at the contact, but said nothing. After what he deemed long enough (though he would've preferred longer), Kise reluctantly loosened his grip. To his surprise, however, the other boy kept his strong hold on Kise's hand. "Umm...Aomine-kun?"

"Yeah?"

Kise looked away before saying sheepishly, "My hand, you can let go of it now."

"Ah." Aomine blinked. His dark cheeks turning a bright red, Aomine immediately released Kise's hand and looked away briskly. He cleared his throat before quickly grabbing a nearby basketball and looking back at Kise, "So then, I'll help you get started with what you came here to do!" The blond watched as Aomine jogged over to a group of five guys and started a three-on-three practice match.

Kise stared at his hand confusedly before looking back at the tanned boy's practice match. Though the model wasn't particularly interested in basketball, he still decided to give the match his full attention due to the tanned boy's participation. However, any indifference he felt towards the sport vanished the moment the game started, and the ball landed in Aomine's possession.

Kise found himself watching in awe as Aomine maneuvered himself around the other players, clearly worlds apart in terms of skill. The power forward's form was erratic yet elegant at the same time. His movements displayed a power that seemed too beautiful to just be physical strength. As much as Kise tried to trace the other boy's movements with his eyes, he found that it was impossible to predict Aomine's next move.

_This guy's style...even I probably wouldn't be able to copy it..! This guy is the real thing!_ Kise licked his lips, excitement making it difficult for him to stand still. _Finally, I've found it! Something to work for, a real goal! This person, I want to surpass him!_ Kise swallowed as he slowly walked towards Aomine. _Ah, but more than that, I think I just want to play basketball with him!_

"The basketball club... Please let me join!"

* * *

_Geez. I'm late to practice one time and he has to lecture me,_ Haizaki thought as he walked away from Akashi. He clicked his tongue as an image of his childhood friend's face flashed in his mind. _And it had to be the day I finally got Ryouta to come to practice._ The silver-haired boy sighed. _Ryouta…_

"Even though he said it was fine, he's probably feeling all lonely and out of place now that I'm not there with him. No matter what he says, he's never really comfortable around a bunch of people he doesn't know."

_Well, I guess that just to goes to show how attached he is to me. _A small smile graced his features at the thought._ Yeah, that's right. It's better if Ryouta is only comfortable with me. I'm the only person he really needs, and he's the only one I need._

"The basketball club..." The silver-haired boy looked up at the sound of Kise's voice. "Please let me join!" Eyes widening, Haizaki grinned at the blond's words. _He's really joining?_ He thought excitedly as he rushed into the gym.

Unfortunately, his excitement was cut short when he saw the full scene. His childhood friend was speaking directly to the team's ace, Aomine Daiki. The look of admiration on the model's face was something Kise had only ever shown to Haizaki. _Wait, no, that's not it,_ he thought in horror as he observed the two. _Not only is this stronger than what he shows me; there's something else in his expression that I've never seen before... Something he has never shown me before... _Haizaki felt his nails dig into the flesh of his palms as he stared at the blond's glowing amber eyes.

* * *

"Isn't this great, Shougo-kun? I'm finally joining a club, and even more than that, I'm actually looking forward to it!" Haizaki nodded half-heartedly as the two left school. "I mean, I seriously don't know if I've ever been this excited before!"

"Yeah..." All of Haizaki's initial joy at the thought of his childhood friend joining the basketball club disappeared after witnessing the look of godlike admiration Kise had directed towards Aomine. He had never considered the possibility that he would have to actually share the blond with the rest of the club. And more than that, he never would've thought that Kise could actually come to admire someone on the team. _Hell, I just didn't think that he would ever come to admire anyone but_ me_._

"...Shougo-kun?" He turned around, finally noticing that Kise had stopped walking. "You don't seem as happy about it as I thought you would be... Did you possibly change your mind? Do you not want me to be on the team anymore? I didn't mean to make you upset..." The blond's hurt expression automatically snapped Haizaki out of his thoughts. "No, no! I was just thinking about how surprising it is that you actually decided to join! I was sure I'd have to drag you to a few practices before you finally gave in!"

The pained look on Kise's face quickly turned back into one of excitement at Haizaki's assurance. "That's because I got to see Aomine-kun play! After seeing his style, I felt like there was no way I _couldn't_ join!" Haizaki mentally flinched at the dreamy look of adoration Kise wore as he spoke about Aomine. "I think that he's what I've always been looking for, Shougo-kun! He's the real challenge I've always wanted to find! And you know what," Haizaki's eyes widened at the dusty pink hue that lightly tinged Kise's pale cheeks as he continued, "I think, more than anything, I just want to play basketball with Aomine-kun!"

Horror washed over Haizaki as he finally realized what the unfamiliar expression Kise wore was: captivation.

* * *

"Aominecchi! Let's play one-on-one!" Haizaki watched his childhood friend trot over to the tanned boy excitedly, a basketball in his hands. The expression of honest enthusiasm on the blond's face made his grey eyes narrow.

Despite being in the same club, the amount of time Haizaki got to spend with Kise didn't increase nearly enough to his liking. Kise wasn't able to attend club everyday due to his job as a model, and when he did attend, he spent any free time he had playing one-on-one with Aomine.

An amused sigh made the silver-haired boy's focus return to where Kise stood with Aomine. "I guess it can't be helped. Don't expect me to go easy on you, Kise!"

"I'm surprised Aomine-kun became so fond of Kise-kun in such a short amount of time." A soft, monotone voice caused Haizaki's head to immediately turn to his left, the unexpected presence of Kuroko nearly causing him to fall over. "Goddammit, Kuroko! Why can't you just show up like a normal person?!"

Kuroko glanced at the taller boy out of the corner of his eyes before returning his attention to Aomine and Kise. "I apologize, but I have been here the entire time. I assumed that you had already noticed me."

"Tch. Whatever." Haizaki mumbled before turning back to watch Kise.

"You and Kise-kun are quite close, aren't you?" The sudden question caught Haizaki off guard. He blinked before grinning proudly, "Yeah, of course we are! Ryouta and I have been together for almost ten years now! We've been best friends for as long as I can remember!"

Kuroko looked at the silver-haired boy with an unreadable expression as he said, "Then you must understand how he feels about Aomine-kun." Haizaki's eyes widened at Kuroko's statement. The small boy's eyes had a faint hint of curiosity as he continued, "Tell me, despite your feelings for Kise-kun, why do you choose to simply watch their relationship develop rather than taking any actions?"

"What?!" He snapped, anger beginning to well up inside of him. Despite Haizaki's obvious fury, Kuroko went on, "Is it because you believe that Kise-kun's feelings are unrequited? If that is the case, you are incorrect."

"Eh?" Shock caused Haizaki's anger to temporarily subside. "What do you mean?"

"I meant exactly what I said," Kuroko stated before turning back to look at Aomine. "I am Aomine-kun's partner, so I am always by his side, watching him. That is why I know that the fondness he feels for Kise-kun isn't just mere affection for a friend or a teammate. It is something that I doubt he has ever experienced before; something that is becoming stronger with each moment he spends with Kise-kun. And that is why I am curious." Facing the silver-haired boy, Kuroko asked, "Why is someone as impulsive as you merely watching as the person you love falls for someone else?"

"You little..!" All of Haizaki's previous fury quickly returned. He roughly grabbed Kuroko by his shirt collar, the small boy's stoic expression further infuriating him.

"Ah! Shougo-kun, what are you doing?!" Kise rushed over to the two, causing Haizaki to release his hold on Kuroko. Haizaki watched as Kise leant down to look at Kuroko, concern written all over the fretting blond's face. "Tetsu, are you okay?" The silver-haired boy had been so focused on Kise that he hadn't even noticed the presence of Aomine, who was currently glaring at Haizaki. "I am fine. I accidentally provoked Haizaki-kun with my questions. It was my fault."

"Tch. Whatever, I'm leaving. Let's go, Ryouta." Haizaki grabbed Kise's wrist before heading towards the club room. "Ehhh? But I wanted to play one-on-one with Aominecchi a little longer!" Kise whined, trying to break free of Haizaki's grasp. The silver-haired boy merely tightened his grip in response. "Shougo-kun, it hurts!" Choosing to ignore the blond, Haizaki was only further irritated when Kise spoke louder, "You're hurting me! Let go!"

"Just shut the hell up already and do as I say!" Haizaki snapped as he turned to the blond, instantly regretting it when he saw the hurt look on Kise's face. "Ryouta, I'm sor—"

"Haizaki!" He was cut off by Aomine, who tore the silver-haired boy's arm away from Kise. His automatic attempt to reclaim his childhood friend was thwarted when the ace stepped between the two. "Didn't you hear Kise say you were hurting him?! I don't care how close you guys are, I've had enough of you always pushing Kise around!"

Haizaki opened his mouth to shout back, but stopped when Kise stepped in between them. "Now, now, you two, calm down!" Looking at Aomine, he said, "Aominecchi, thank you for standing up for me, but I honestly don't think Shougo-kun pushes me around. I can be pretty indecisive at times, so he's just used to giving me that extra push I need once in a while. And Shougo-kun," Kise faced Haizaki, an apologetic expression on his face, "I'm sorry, but could you go home without me? I really want to keep playing basketball with Aominecchi, but I don't want to force you to wait for me."

Haizaki clicked his tongue before looking away. Reluctantly giving in, he said "Fine." He could never seriously refuse anything Kise asked of him while wearing that sort of expression.

* * *

The walk home seemed much shorter without Kise. Without even realizing it, Haizaki had found himself standing outside his house, almost hesitant to go in by himself. Since he and Kise were in the same class, they would always go to each other's house to work on schoolwork together once they got home.

Haizaki quickly changed out of his uniform and into a plain black t-shirt and jeans. He contemplated finishing his homework, but soon found himself falling back onto his bed instead. Staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, Haizaki sighed as he closed his eyes slowly.

_Ryouta looked kinda happy when Daiki stood up for him. He's always looked happy whenever I did the same, but in more of a relieved way. With Daiki, there was more than just relief on that happy face of his..._

_Tell me, despite your feelings for Kise-kun, why do you choose to simply watch their relationship develop rather than taking any actions?_ Haizaki sighed as Kuroko's words replayed in his head. _Why is someone as impulsive as you merely watching as the person you love falls for someone else?_

_I didn't want to admit it, but Kuroko had a point. It isn't like me to just stand around and do nothing as Ryouta gets closer and closer to Daiki._

_...But what am I supposed to do?_

* * *

"Shougo-kun, let me in~!"

Haizaki immediately woke at the sound of the blond's voice. _Hmm? When did I fall asleep?_ He wondered as he lazily walked to his door, yawning as he opened it. He gave Kise a quick glance before turning around and heading back to his bed.

"Have you been sleeping since you got home?"

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Haizaki replied, "Dunno. I don't remember falling asleep." The silver-haired boy frowned when he finally looked at Kise. The blond had a troubled look on his face. "Ryouta, what's wrong?"

Amber eyes widened before quickly looking down. Kise bit his bottom lip, seemingly hesitant to speak, "...Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something that's been on my mind."

Haizaki's brow furrowed. He nodded. It was strange for Kise to hesitate so much about telling him something. The blond was always open with Haizaki.

"I-I..." Kise stuttered as his face turned a deep red. He swallowed before finally saying, "I think I'm in love with Aominecchi!"

Haizaki's mind went numb.

He knew it, he really did; it was just that hearing the actual words come from Kise himself was so different—so much more painful than he could've ever imagined. He didn't want to hear those words come out of Kise's mouth. He didn't want to truly acknowledge Kise's feelings for their club's ace.

And yet, he was being forced to do just that by Kise. His sweet, kind, innocent Kise was forcing him to hear the words he had dreaded the most.

"Shougo-kun?"

Kise's hesitant voice snapped the silver-haired boy out of his thoughts. He looked at the blond, who was now looking down, a hurt expression on his pretty face. Kise must've been discouraged by his lack of response. "I'm sorry, Shougo-kun… You're probably disgusted, aren't you? I guess anyone would be if their _male_ best friend suddenly told them they liked another guy, wouldn't they?" Standing up, the model faced the door. "I'll go ahead and go home for the day."

"Wait, Ryouta!" He called out, grabbing the other's hand without thinking. "Eh?" Startled, the blond turned around.

Haizaki let out a surprised breath when he saw the tears that had formed in Kise's amber eyes. He tugged on the other's hand, pulling the blond into a comforting embrace. "Ryouta, nothing could ever make me hate you! I was just surprised, that's all!"

"Really?"

"Of course! We haven't been best friends for all these years for nothing!" The silver-haired boy sighed in relief when he felt the Kise's tense form relax a bit in his hold.

He let go of the blond and motioned for him to sit next to Haizaki on the bed. Looking into the beautiful amber eyes he had come to adore, Haizaki swallowed, hesitating for a few seconds before speaking.

"But Ryouta, are you sure what you feel for Daiki is really love?" _Forgive me, Ryouta._ "You've never admired anyone as much as you admire him, right?" _We promised to never lie to each other, and yet look at me doing exactly that._ "Are you sure that you aren't just confusing your admiration with love?" _I know that you love Daiki, I really do. I just can't bear the thought of you being so in love with anyone besides me._ "After all, you've never truly admired anyone before _or_ been in love before; it makes sense that you would get such strong feelings mixed up." _So if lying to you is the only way to prevent you from loving someone else, or even just the only way to slow down the development between you and Daiki, I'll do it._

"…You really think so? You really think that's what it is?" The disappointment in Kise's voice made him grimace.

Haizaki felt sick. He was angry with himself for lying to his beloved childhood friend. He was disgusted with himself for taking advantage of Kise's trust in him. And more than anything else, he was furious with the voice in the back of his head that blamed the blond for everything.

_That's not right! This isn't Ryouta's fault! More than anyone else, this is my own fault. If I had confessed to Ryouta instead of just being satisfied with how things were, he probably would've come to look at me the same way he looks at Daiki._ Grey eyes widened at the thought of the power forward. _That's right… This is all Daiki's fault..! If he had stayed away from Ryouta in the first place, then everything would've stayed the way it had been! Ryouta would've continued to always stay by my side and look only at me! _Haizaki felt his anger direct itself towards the tanned boy.

_Daiki..! How dare you steal Ryouta from me! He has always been mine, and mine alone! Even though you already have so many loved ones, you still take away the only important person in my life!_

* * *

Kise yawned as he walked out of his house, the morning sunlight hurting his eyes. He didn't sleep particularly well, seeing as his mind had been too busy thinking about his club's ace. He had stayed up most of the night questioning his feelings for the tanned boy. What Haizaki told him made sense, but something still felt...wrong.

Kise wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he felt like labelling his feelings as just admiration was a mistake. The blond shook his head, _But Shougo-kun is never wrong about this sort of thing!_

He sighed. "Why does this have to be so confusing?"

"Ryouta."

The blond turned at the sound of his friend's voice, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Good morning, Shougo-kun! Are you ready to go?" Eyes narrowing, Haizaki nodded, a clearly displeased look on his face.

They started their walk to school in silence.

* * *

Kise sighed as he made his way down the crowded hallway.

It might've been his imagination, but the blond was almost positive that Haizaki had been avoiding him all day. On their walk to school, he refused to make any eye contact with Kise, and during breaks, he gave Kise different excuses to go off somewhere by himself. Even just now, Haizaki had said something about being too busy to go to practice before practically sprinting out of the classroom and leaving him behind.

_Maybe he was lying when he said the whole thing with Aominecchi doesn't bother him... Well, I guess it's not surprising. I mean, most people would be disturbed to hear a guy say they think they like another guy..._

"Hey, Kise!" The blond turned around to see their team's ace jog up to him. "You on your way to practice? I am too, so let's go together!"

Despite his worries, Kise couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. No matter what his feelings for the tanned boy were, he knew one thing for certain: being with Aomine always made him feel better.

He smiled warmly before nodding, "Okay!"

* * *

Kise laughed before falling back onto the floor, exhausted. Using his arms for support, he sat up before saying, "As always, Aominecchi is so cool! I feel like I can never get enough of playing basketball with you!"

Aomine sat down next to him and grinned. "You're not half-bad yourself, Kise!" The other chuckled in response, "Why, I'm honored to be told so by the ace of Teiko's basketball team!"

Aomine's expression softened as he observed the other boy. He took a deep breath, "Hey, Kise..."

"Hmm?" Kise turned to the other, amber eyes lit with curiosity.

"What do you think of me?"

Kise blinked in surprise at the sudden question. Confused, he tilted his head to one side before responding. "What do I think of you? I always tell you how cool and strong you are, so why are you asking?"

Aomine looked away. When Kise looked closely, he could see that the tips of the other boy's ears were red. "Yeah, that's what you think of me as a basketball player, but what do you think of me, Aomine Daiki, as a person?"

Kise swallowed silently. _D-Does he mean..?_ He took a deep breath before speaking. "Frankly, Aominecchi is kind of dumb."

"What?!"

Ignoring him, Kise continued. "You're also aggressive, a little arrogant, and kind of rash."

Aomine grit his teeth. "Then—"

"But," Cutting him off, Kise looked down, "I also think Aominecchi is a very wonderful person."

"Eh?"

"You are very kind to others, protective of the people you care about, and a fun person to be around." Blushing, Kise added in a small voice, "And I like being with Aominecchi more than anyone else."

Kise fiddled with his shirt as he anxiously awaited Aomine's response. When he was greeted with nothing but silence, Kise forced himself to gather his courage and stole a glance at the other.

Amber eyes widened when he saw the bright red blush across Aomine's face. "A-Aominecchi..?"

"T-Then," Aomine met Kise's gaze, "Kise, that means you l-like me, right?"

Kise felt his face heat up further. He nodded, "Yeah, I think I do."

Frozen in place, Kise watched as Aomine walked towards him. He looked down, too embarrassed to face the other. Even when he felt strong hands grip his shoulders, he continued to stare at his feet.

"Kise..." He felt Aomine's forehead touch his own and gently press forward, forcing Kise to look up. He closed his eyes, unsure of what to say or do.

"Me too."

Kise's eyes blinked open. "Eh?"

"I like you too." Aomine said quietly, his face noticeably flushed despite his dark, tanned skin. Kise felt his face flush impossibly more. Hesitantly, he slowly covered Aomine's hands with his own.

Seemingly assured by Kise's comforting motion, Aomine gulped. "T-Then...is it okay for me to kiss you..?" Kise nearly choked in surprise. "Wha..?"

"Is it too soon for that?" Aomine asked, discouraged.

Kise shook his head. "N-No... It's fine..." He shut his eyes tightly, "Please do." He heard Aomine gulp, but was unable to look at the other due to embarrassment.

"T-then, I'm going to kiss you..." Aomine's grip on his shoulders tightened as he angled his head awkwardly. With his eyes closed, Kise waited nervously, unsure of what type of feeling to expect. When he felt Aomine's warm breath hit his lips, Kise swallowed before slightly parting his lips.

He heard Aomine whisper his name before finally pressing his lips against Kise's.

His heart, which he had felt pounding furiously before in anticipation, now felt like it was going to burst. He felt like he was going to cry from happiness. Kise was sure he was experiencing nothing short of pure bliss.

_I won't doubt my feelings anymore,_ Kise thought as he slowly returned the kiss. _More than anyone, I love Aominecchi._

* * *

Haizaki clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles went white. He turned around, unable to watch the scene before him any longer.

Why, he wondered, did he have to feel bad about ignoring Kise all day and return to school so they could walk home together? Why couldn't he have just waited for Kise to return home and apologize there? At least then, he wouldn't have been forced to see Kise, the only person in his life who actually mattered, in the arms of another man.

"Kise..." he heard Aomine say in a breathy voice, "My family went on a trip yesterday and won't be back for a couple of days... Spend the night at my place tonight..."

Haizaki tried to picture the blush Kise surely wore, unable to appreciate any images that came to his mind. He grit his teeth when he heard Kise, obviously embarrassed, mumble a weak 'okay.'

It took a considerable amount of self-restraint for Haizaki to prevent himself from hitting something. He walked away from the gym, unable to bear being near the two any longer.

_There's no way I'll be able to win Ryouta back... Daiki's a good guy__—__too good. _Haizaki paused when he remembered the look Kise had worn with Aomine. That type of loving expression was something that even Haizaki had never seen before. _If it's him, there's no way Ryouta will ever be unhappy._

* * *

"Are you positive?" Akashi asked in a monotone voice. Haizaki was sure that the red-haired boy already knew his answer. He sighed before running a hand through his messy, grey hair. Haizaki looked away, unwilling to look into the other boy's knowing eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm quitting the basketball club."

* * *

Author's Note

So, I finished this a while ago, but kept forgetting to post it on here. This site's posting process is kind of a pain, after all. I finally decided to when I realized it had already been a little over a month since I posted it on tumblr. I'd like to write a sequel to this, though I've no idea whether I'll actually get to that or not. I guess it'll depend on how motivated I feel.


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